From Better to The Worst
by Guarding My Castle
Summary: The wedding did not happen. Where do we go from here
1. Chapter 1

**I hate 6x23 so I did this.**  
**Forgive me **

**Castle and all the players belong to ABC and Marlsow. **

**i do this for fun, not money. No copyright infringement here**

* * *

The flames reach up towards the tree limbs above. The fire threatens to spread to the nearby grass and the meadow just beyond the ditch where the car is jammed.

The smoke issuing from the badly damaged car is choking to the lungs of everyone nearby.

Unfortunately the nearest fire rescue station is several miles away and it is evident that the car will be completely consumed long before any water is used in an attempt to quash the inferno

The fire department can be heard far in the distance as approaching whaling of

Sirens can now be heard

The highway patrol has stopped Kate Beckett for attempting to run down the hill to attempt a futile rescue of the driver.

She is standing on the top of the hill with tears streaming down her face. Her mascara following the path off her cheeks and finally landing in dark blobs on the bodice of her mother's beautiful white wedding dress

Other cars from the Hamptons house arrive moments later. The occupants fly out of the doors even before the cars come to a complete stop.

Kevin Ryan, Javier Esposito, Lanie Parish, Alexis Castle and Martha Rogers all rush to Kate's side and join her in her emotional frenzy.

The next vehicle to arrive contains Victoria Gates and as is her station in life she immediately seizes command of the incident even thought it is outside of her jurisdiction.

She moves beside the highway patrol officer and identifies herself to the officer as a captain with the New York City Police Department

"What happened here?" She asks

"It appears the Mercedes was run off the road by a Black SUV. A witness said the Mercedes tried to avoid the accident but the SUV was determined to cause this" the officer points to the flaming vehicle

"What about the driver?"

"The witness was not in a position to get a good look but he said the car burst into flames just moments after it crashed into the tree. We assume the driver was killed in the crash"

The sound of the fire engine finally pulling into the incident drowns out any chance of continuing the conversation

The fire fighters make quick work of extinguishing the fire once they bring their hoses to bear on the inferno. The fire captain directs his crew to perform the standard search once the site is safe to approach

A senior member of the local police arrives to take command of the incident. He has assessed the scene and based upon the dress of the group he assumes the worst.

When you see a woman in a long white wedding dress and several men dressed in tuxedos and the ladies in their finest attire it does not take a college degree to put the pieces into place about what was planned for today.

The lieutenant is just hoping that it was not the groom in the car. He soon discovers that this is apparently the situation

Once fire department states that the scene is safe to approach, Captain Gates tells Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito to go and make a determination based upon their training.

Kate, Martha and Alexis are told to go back to the Rolls Royce and are seated inside waiting for their friends to return after their examination of the situation. All three women have empty faces as if their very souls have been taken from them.

Martha makes the first statement "Maybe he got out of the car before it caught fire"

Kate fails in trying to choke out a response. She just stares out the front window. The back seat of the car is quiet when the rustling of shoes on a gravel surface bring their attention to the person approaching

The local authorities represented outside are appreciating the assistance of the officers from New York taking the lead in this. They did not want to be the ones to tell this family the outcome from the events of today

Just moments after the two men and one woman step to the open door of the fancy vehicle, there are screams of pure pain escaping the limo

Lanie stays with her best friend while Ryan and Esposito rejoin their captain and the local police. When they approach the assembled crowd, Ryan speaks to Gates "Sir, Lanie has made her determination. We want to get permission of the local authorities to take the body from the car and return to the city to complete our investigation"

The local highway patrol ranking officer contacts the local police chief to get his permission to release the body to the New York officers since the accident actually happened inside the Hamptons City Limits. The chief of police, knowing those involved, gladly relinquished his case to those more experienced

Lanie gets into the Rolls Royce and closes the door. After just a very few minutes the car pulls away and begins its return trip to the Castle house with the four women inside the rear

The two men wait for a local mortuary to arrive with a hearse for transport and they ride back to the city and to the morgue where Doctor Perlmutter is waiting for them at the main door. He personally escorts the gurney containing the body bag into the examination area. He tells the assistants that he is taking care of this one personally and if he need s any help he will call them.

* * *

At the beach house the four women have changed back into their street clothes and have packed for their return to the city.

At the front entry Kate stops and looks around the house then she steps off the porch and into the passenger side of her dad's car while Alexis and Martha climb into the back of a town car waiting to take them back to the loft.

Just before pulling out Jim Beckett steps to the limo and tells Martha that Kate is not returning to the city just yet. She cannot go to the loft and her apartment is empty and both places contain too many memories for her to deal with at this moment.

Martha asks where Jim is taking Kate and he says that Kate wants to go to where they went after Johanna funeral to Coney Island and walk the beach looking for something to add to the stick man she has kept all these years and then she will decide what to do. He tells them Kate indicates that she wants to go ahead and go to the island where they planned for the honeymoon

The two cars pull off the drive and move in the general direction of the city

Once they are all well on the road, Jim Beckett changes direction and turns his car toward his cabin in upstate New York

The drive into the woods is in total silence causing the time to pass slowly. Jim and Kate do not say one word to each other until he pulls his car into the driveway of his cabin.

Kate reaches across the front seat and gives her father a kiss. She then takes her suitcase from the back seat and closes the door to the car. Jim pulls away quietly as Kate enters the front of the small and isolated vacation home.

She closes the door and latches the dead bolt lock then drops her bag on the floor

She hears a sound come from behind her.

She turns in the direction of the noise and lets out all the air from her lungs in a gasp…


	2. Chapter 2

**The comments were great. Thanks**

* * *

The trip back to New York City is long, slow and tiring for the pair of detectives. Ryan and Esposito sit in silence with Lanie Parish leaning into Javi's side while Jenny is curled into Kevin's arms.

The car service drops the Ryan's off first then continues to the apartment of Esposito where Lanie gets out as well. She enters with Javier and the two set the bags down and drop onto the couch. The rest of the evening is spent in silence.

Esposito finally speaks up "I wonder if I should call the morgue and see how Perlmutter is doing?"

"He is fine" Lanie responds "He knows exactly what he is doing. He doesn't need your help" she pauses while point her finger between them, "Our help"

"I guess you're right" is his only comment

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right"

Jenny and Kevin are as quiet as the Lanie and Esposito. Neither couple knows what the other is doing. They only know about the silence issuing between themselves in their own private worlds

* * *

Down at the morgue, ME Perlmutter has moved the body bag into the storage cabinet and has closed the door to the refrigerated locker. After he closes the door he places a security lock on the latch

He steps away to his desk and sits down when he notices the main entry door open. Captain Victoria Gates steps up to the doctor's desk then sits down at a chair placed beside his work space exactly like the chair Beckett had for Castle for the last six years

The medical examiner looks up to the woman "Hello Captain"

"Doctor. Thank you for doing this. I know you really have never liked Mr. Castle but this is so very important to this entire team"

"Captain my dislike for Mr. Castle is only skin deep. I do know that he has been some help on cases over the last few years and he did bring Detective Beckett out of her shell in a large way. My participation in this is out of respect for her and the job she does solving crimes"

"For what very reason I want to personally thank you for doing this" Captain Gates stands to leave the morgue

"Yes captain. And please let me know whatever else I can do.

"Yes I will"

"And keep me advised to the outcome"

Captain Gates shakes her head and she returns to the elevator to go out to the street instead of going to the homicide floor. She gets into her cruiser and heads to the evidence garage where the Mercedes has been towed to allow CSU to examine it for evidence. When she arrives at CSU she places a call to the homicide division and asks for Detective Karpowski.

The woman answers "Karpowski"

"This is Gates, the car is here at the evidence garage. Can you come down and supervise?"

The response is solemn "Yes, of course"

"Then keep me informed on the findings"

"Naturally sir"

Captain Gates then walks up beside the unit sergeant "This car is special. I will have one of my detectives here for the examination. She is to be allowed full and unlimited access to any and all information"

"Understood" the officer replies then he finishes his statement "Captain, we understand that this car belonged to Richard Castle, the author and fiancé of Detective Beckett?"

"That's right"

"We will take care of this sir"

Thank you sergeant" The captain responds

* * *

Doctor Perlmutter is filling out paperwork at his desk when there is call from the lobby. The clerk advises the medical examiner that there is a doctor in the lobby wanting to come up and examine the body that was recently brought in

"What body?" he questions

Moments later the gate keeper responds "A Mr. Richard Castle"

A look comes across the face of the ME then he responds "Be sure to have him sign in"

"OH sir it is a woman. A Dr. Dr. Kelly Nieman"

"Verify her credentials and then send her on up"

He then turns to his recorder control and activates the recording system normally used to do autopsies. This system records both audio and video at given examination tables

A few minutes later the doors open and a tall attractive woman enters the space.

Dr. Perlmutter greets her with his normal attitude of 'Why are you bothering me?'

"Mr. Castle is a patient of mine and I want to see him" She says

"This is highly unusual. I never get an attending physician check in a deceased patient"

"Well Richard was also a friend and I want to pay my respects. I am leaving town in the morning and will not be here for a funeral" She comments

The medical examiner steps over to the storage unit and pulls open the drawer and slides out the drawer containing the cadaver. The remains are evidently the result of a fire. There is nothing left but some bones covered by what appears to be clothing or possible flesh

The woman does not flinch at the sight as if this is an every day occurrence for her. She turns to the ME "May I be alone with the body for a moment?"

"No I'm afraid not. I have not yet done the post mortem and rules require I be present until such time. It has to do with chain of evidence. You understand".

"Of course doctor" She answers

She seems to be looking very closely at the body then she looks at the ME "Thank you doctor. I have seen all I need to" And she turns and exits the building

* * *

Captain Gates then return to the 12th precinct and to her office where she closes her door to being herself into a silent place. She sits down at her desk and leans back into her chair. It is at that very moment the silence is broken.

She hears the chirp of a cell phone. It is not her phone as it is openly placed on the desktop. She is positive where it is coming from exactly. After the noise repeats she pulls open the drawer below the credenza behind her chair. Nothing is in the drawer but the repeated chirp brings her to look into the devices hiding place. After an additional chirp she locates a burner phone taped to the bottom of the box.

She quickly glances around to make sure no one is watching. She takes the phone from the hiding place then drops it into her pocket and returns to the tasks on her desk pretending to have no interest in the message being sent to her

* * *

In the apartment of Jenny and Kevin Ryan the couple has released the baby sitter from her duties and have prepared themselves for bed when there is the sound of a text being sent to a phone. Jenny looks around the bedroom seeking to locate the source when the next repeated signal directs her to their dresser and the phone located on the bottom of the drawer. She retrieves the noise making device and walks into the bathroom where Kevin is stepping out of the shower. She opens the message and the couple reads the text to together

In Javier Esposito's apartment there is a similar event. The brilliant Hispanic detective pulls out the device from its hiding place and shows the message to his companion for the night

On the homicide floor of the 12th precinct the captain is wrapping up her activities for the evening when the phone on her desk rings

"Captain Gates"

"Hello Captain. What can I do for you?" Gates asks

She listens for a moment to the statement from the Highway Patrol officer

The state police officer tells Gates that there seems to be a problem related to the witness to the accident involving the Mercedes belonging to Richard Castle. While attempting to enter the data, the name, address and phone numbers of the person witnessing the event seem to be bogus and they are unable to contact him for follow up.

Gates only response is

"Really?"


	3. Chapter 3

**In the United States this is a long holiday weekend. Memorial Day is Monday**  
**So instead of making you wait, I thought I would give everyone a little present**  
**I hope you all enjoy this very short chapter**

* * *

_Previously on Castle_

_The drive into the woods is in total silence causing the time to pass slowly. Jim and Kate do not say one word to each other until he pulls his car into the driveway of his cabin. _

_Kate reaches across the front seat and fives her father a kiss. She then takes her suitcase from the back seat and closes the door to the car. Jim pulls away quietly as Kate enters the door of the small and isolated vacation home. _

_She closes the door and latches the dead bolt lock then drops her bag on the floor_

_She hears a sound come from behind her. She turns in the direction of the noise and lets out the air from her lungs in a gasp_…

The words of her father as he described Johanna's simple thinking echo in Kate's mind

"_Life never gives us more than we can handle"_

The events of the last three days have been more than any human should have to endure.

* * *

Setting out to get a marriage license should be simple. Fill out the paper work and then take the document and have the ceremony. It should not require chasing down a former boyfriend and evidently husband to get a signature on a 'Dissolution of Marriage' document.

It should not require chasing down a group of bikers thru a town where you have no authority. It should not require being held captive by these bikers and threatened over borrowed money

It should not require finding out your perfect wedding venue is damaged by fire and now unusable.

It should not require finding out your wedding dress is damaged beyond repair by a broken water main

It should not end with your fiancé trapped in a burning car at the bottom of a ravine

And most importantly it should not end with you in a secluded cabin in the woods

**Alone!**

But Standing, alone, in the entry way of her father's cabin, Katherine Beckett has just locked the deadbolt on the door when a noise in the room causes her to turn

Tears are streaming down her face as she runs into the arms of the man that is standing at the opposite end of the living space

She almost causes both of them to fall down. It is only the fact he is braced for her attack that keep both of them upright

His arms are wrapped completely around her. He holds her as tightly as he possibly can without hurting her. He is fighting back every tear that tries to escape from his eyes as she is doing herself

"I thought I had lost you" She whimpers

"No! No! Never, Never!" he responds as he has done before

"Rick, this was all too real"

"You knew the plan, we all knew the plan" He tries to console her

"I know but it was all so very, very real today. The wreck, the fire, the police. All of it" She speaks without ever lifting her face from his chest

"So it was believable to everyone?"

"Totally!"

"Good. Then we can assume it worked" He says

She finally lifts her face to him "It was far too real for me!"

"I know but if we are going to finish this then this was the only way" He tries to console her "I just wish it was some other time than the wedding"

He smiles his best goofy grin

"I was looking forward to taking you on a honeymoon and doing all the things with you that normally happen on a honeymoon"

She snuggles back into his chest "Yeah. Me too"

* * *

Back in New York City

Captain Gates finally closes down her desk and takes her blazer from the chair, puts it on and moves to the elevator. As she glances around d the bull pen it is evident that the other officers are taking the events of today very hard

After she gets into her car and pulls out of the garage, she finally takes out the burner phone from her pocket and checks the message that was sent to her. She also can tell it was sent to four additional devices. This means everyone involved knows the current status

It is a cryptic message that she and the others understand.

When Kate Beckett returned to duty after her shooting, her comment was that she was tired of listening to the crickets at her dad's cabin

The message says

"The crickets are chirping"

Richard Castle has sent them a message telling them he is at the cabin in the woods per plan and all is well

* * *

**For those reader in the US. Please have a fun and safe Memorial Day**


	4. Chapter 4

12th Precinct

* * *

Detectives Esposito and Ryan step off the elevator and both quietly walk to their respective work stations. They sit down on their chairs and face the empty desk top. Since the team left last week for the wedding, the other officers in the station took the cases off the two detectives and added them into each of their respective work loads leaving the Beckett led team with no other task in their immediate future except for them to concentrate on the marriage of Detective Beckett and her long time partner, Richard Castle

But that did not happen

The two men look up when they hear the sound of approaching footsteps. Captain Gates has walked up beside the men's desks

"Detectives what are you doing here? I thought you would probably still be in the Hamptons offering to assist on the case in whatever capacity the locals would accept"

"Sir, the local chief was not interested in our help. Chief Brady made it very clear that he would investigate the case himself without our involvement" Esposito answers

"Gentlemen, in that case please come into my office" the captain orders

The three officers enter Gate's office and the door is closed. The Captain steps behind her desk and sits down. As she does, she reaches into her pocket and produces the burner phone that was previously located inside her credenza.

She watches the faces of the two detectives and receives an acknowledgement of their understanding about the importance of the device

"Gentlemen, we must investigate the death of Mr. Castle if for no other reason than to give closure to Detective Beckett. She deserves that least that much from us"

"Yes sir, we agree totally. Beckett has had enough pain in her life before Castle came around. He brought her from sad to happy and then this happened. We must help her have some level of closure" Ryan responds

"Then you two go down to the morgue and get with Dr. Parish and see if she has any clues to help in locating the perpetrator of this. If the Hamptons police want to keep us out of their jurisdiction then we will do just that, but since we still have the body, we have a place to start" Captain Gates then orders the two detectives to start on their follow up

The two men grab their gear and head to the elevator.

When the two detectives arrive at the morgue, they find Dr. Lanie Parish at her desk with her head buried in paperwork

"Dr. Parish" Ryan starts his conversation using her formal title in lieu of the less formal first name only

The medical examiner looks up from her desk "Hello Kevin, Javi. What brings you two here?"

"Just came down wanting to get some information for our report. Do you have anything official for us?" Ryan asks

"If you want official details I can give those to you but do I really have to state the obvious?"

Both men are silent but shake their heads in unison

"Death was caused by fire. The body was almost totally consumed by the flames. There was not any other indication of other injury. At least nothing I could find. The body was damaged to the point I could barely tell it was a male"

Taking a deep breath Ryan asks "Are you sure it was him?"

"Yes! Absolutely" Lanie responds

"If the body was that badly damaged, how could you be so positive in your identification?" Esposito asks

"There were dental records for me to use. His mother told me that he had knocked teeth out when he was younger. An attempt on his part to play in some action sport at school. The only possible repair was an implant. The titanium implant was one of the only things that survived the fire"

Again both detectives are left standing speechless.

"So anything else that you two need?" Lanie asks

"No, I think that takes care of us" Esposito responds

Then Kevin asks the next question "Have you talked to Beckett since the…UH…event?"

"No. I need to try to call her. Her dad said she asked to be left alone for a while just like she did after she was shot. He promised her that he would let her wait until she was ready to come back just like before"

"She needs someone with her now Lanie" Esposito comments

"I would love to go stay with her but I will respect her wishes for now"

"Have arrangements been made yet?" Esposito continues

"Alexis and Martha are letting Paula make those plans. Actually since there is no reason for a funeral with viewing I think the internment will be private but there is a discussion of having a wake at the Old Haunt this coming Wednesday night"

"That will be perfect" Ryan starts up "He wrote most of his first Derrick Storm book in that place. He started his career there, we should end it there"

The two detectives move back into the corridor and to the elevator to travel back to their station

* * *

TWO WEEKS EARLIER

Castle is working madly on the next Nikki Heat outline. Since he and Kate became a couple it has been so much easier for Rick to outline and then write a new book about Nikki Heat.

His imagination is always on fire now when it comes to the adventures of Nikki. In the past he had always procrastinated when it came to putting his thoughts down on paper or more accurately computer memory. He always was filing his chapters on Derrick Storm and even Nikki Heat at the last possible minute just before Gina knocks on his door threatening to take back the advance payments

But now when it comes putting "her" escapades on paper the task is easy. Since he finds his inspiration in his lovely Kate and she is now moving toward being his permanent forever, each new day brings him closer and closer to that nirvana he had always wished for but never came close to until Kate Beckett came into his life

Now that she is with him heart and soul and always beside him day in and night out, he no longer lets his mind wander wondering what she is doing, what she is thinking who she is with. The answers to all those questions are here with her at his side

The only distracting event now for him is planning the wedding. In just two more weeks she is going to be Mrs. Richard Castle.

His phone rings and he looks at the caller ID and sees "Gina' as the calling party. This time he does not avoid her call as was his previous history when it came to talking to her because he is so far ahead of his promised goals. In fact far ahead of all of his obligations to Black Pawn and the latest story of his lovely detective muse soon to be wife

"Hello Gina" Rick answers

"Hi Rick, how's it going?"

"Great. What can I do for you today? You can't be calling about chapters since I am ahead by a month on my promised schedule"

"No Rick, that is fine. We have set up a meeting to start planning for the next Heat book release party and the promotions tours. Can you and Kate come down later today and meet with me and the promotion's department?"

Castle looks at his watch "Sure but Kate is on call today and might have to leave if there is a murder. What time do you want us there?"

"Let's say 2:00 o'clock?" Gina asks

Rick looks at his appointment book "Sure 2:00 is fine. We will see you then" Castle responds before hanging up

Rick sets the phone back on the desk just as Kate enters the study "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Gina. She wants to have a promotion meeting on the next book this afternoon"

"OH!" there is definite tension in Beckett's voice

"She wants us there at 2:00" Rick comments

"US?" Kate question

"Yes. She said she wants us to be there for the meeting. Since we will be married by the time the next book comes out I imagine she expects me to bring my wife along with me for the promotion tour"

He looks at Kate "In fact I want my wife with me every chance we have"

Kate steps beside Rick and slides her hand down his arm "You realize if you bring your wife, then the book groupies will probably stay away and not be asking for special private signings…You know in your room" Then after a breath "Or their room"

He places his hand on hers "That is exactly how I want it. There is only one groupie I want in my room and she can have anything she wants"

Looking up to her smiling face

He squeezes her hand and she walks back in to the bedroom to get dressed for the day

The couple stops at a local deli for a light lunch on their way to Black Pawn where they arrive about 15 minutes early. When they enter the conference room they are met by someone from their past that they were not expecting to see

"Hello Rick, hello Kate" Comes the voice of Special Agent Jordan Shaw of the FBI

"Agent Shaw" Kate comments with a little tiny tint of jealousy in her voice. When the three first met, Kate thought she saw that there was a spark that existed between Castle and the talented FBI agent. What Kate avoided back then was the very same spark that was between her and Castle. She was doing everything she could back then to prevent that spark from becoming a full fledged forest fire

"Agent Shaw?" Kate opens the conversation

"Please, its Jordan, the three of us have been through too much together to be so formal" The FBI Special agent comments as she reaches out to shake the couples' hands

"What are you doing here?" Rick asks

"As you know I specialize in serial killers and I have been assigned to chase one in particular. One that you two have history with"

"Which one is that?" Beckett asks

"Jerry Tyson"

Both Castle and Becket go completely quiet after the answer

"I was assigned to the case after a series of murders in Utah that had the same MO as your triple killer cases. Then another in Mississippi and the list goes on"

"I thought that we killed him" Beckett comments "I mean Rick and I both shot him off the bridge a year ago. He fell into the water. He is dead!"

"Or so we thought" Castle responds


	5. Chapter 5

**Again, thanks to all. Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing. I really don't plan for this to be a long one**  
**but as usual this computer I have just writes stories that I have to post, no matter how long they become**

* * *

Castle has an odd look on his face before he continues his conversation with Agent Shaw

"Jordan do you really think that 3XK is still alive and out there killing again? I mean we dealt with him a year ago after he tried to set me up for a murder I didn't commit"

"We have three sets of killings in three different areas. Each one resembles the Tyson MO. There were three blond haired women killed using a rope with the triple twist, just like the cases that your first captain dealt with" Jordan responds

"That sounds very suspicious but we believe that Tyson is dead. He went into the water after both of us shot him repeatedly!" Then Beckett questions "And wait a minute Agent Shaw" Beckett continues "Why are we here at Rick's publisher's office listening to all this and not down at the station?"

"Because we truly believe that Tyson is the one involved and as you well know, Rick, he can be very crafty in watching his intended target. Setting up his plan in fine detail and being one step ahead of the victim and the police. He set you up as a killer without you even knowing he was spying on you"

To add an additional punch to her statement "He even watched you two in the privacy of your bedroom if I remember the report correctly We just wanted to be ahead of him this time so we decided to meet you two here under the pretext of a meeting with your publisher and formulate a plan"

"What type plan do you have in mind" Beckett asks

Jordan Shaw opens her briefcase and pulls out a large file labeled 'Diva'

"We have already outlined what we want to do. But it requires complete cooperation of all your friends and family from Captain Gates all the way to Dr. Perlmutter"

Castle looks at the label "Why did you choose that name for the plan?"

"Mr. Castle we are hoping to get help from an unusual assistant. A woman with a very special set of talents in creating a fictional story. We need a script and a teacher well versed in acting"

A look of understanding crosses Castle's face

"We need your mother!"

Castle looks over at Beckett "Oh my! This is going to be good"

As it is true that Martha and Kate pulled off one the cities best plays to celebrate Richard's birthday this was going to be much more difficult. This time, not only will they have to convince someone that an accident really happened and the result had succeeded in the death of Richard Castle but they would probably have to convince a medical professional of the death.

"We believe that Tyson has made a connection with a doctor. A Plastic Surgeon in fact. A woman who cannot be fooled about a dead body and will already know about what proof of death we will need to show that will convince Tyson that he has finally succeeded in his quest to remove Mr. Castle from the equation"

"So you also believe that Dr. Neiman is connected to 3XK" Castle asks

"Absolutely. My latest computer models show that there is an 89.627 percent probability she was the one to help him recover from his injuries when you shot him off the bridge last year"

"What evidence do you have" Beckett asks

"We believe he was in fact seriously injured in the fall into the water after you two fired on him. We believe he was wearing a Kevlar vest, or more accurately a coat. We think that he survived the fall and was rescued by this woman doctor"

"What evidence do you have of this?" Beckett questions

"A patient was brought into a private clinic in Ramsey, New Jersey the next day after the shooting you two were involved in. He was treated by a Dr. Neiman. She would not allow anyone to touch the patient other than her own nurse who stayed in the room. She told the hospital staff that he was contagious and they had to treat anything surrounding him as a bio hazard. All bed clothes and medical supplies were to be disposed of using standard hazard containment"

"So how did you find out about him?" Kate asks.

"A hospital staff member read a small story about the two of you. It was an op-ed piece in her local paper. The history about the two of you. How it went from Castle tagging along after you and being, well you know, Castle and then how the two of you finally fell in love and are getting married. The article told a few stories about your adventures before the romance and then your impending marriage. One of the stories mentioned Dr. Neiman"

"So the staff member remembered the name?" Castle asks

"Yes then she contacted the local police and since it was a different state they locals called the FBI and this whole think landed on my desk" Jordan finishes

"Do you believe the patient was Jerry Tyson" Kate wonders

"The hospital staff never saw his face. It was bandaged the entire time. We assume that was done to hide his identity but the time line fits with the encounter with the two of you on the bridge"

"OK if we assume it was Tyson, how this connects back to us" Rick points between him and Kate

"We went to follow up on this Dr. Neiman and found where she had practiced before. In fact we followed a very long trail of facts that all turned out to be bogus"

"Just like the trail on Rick leading to the woman he was supposed to be having an affair with?"

"Exactly. Tyson has been an expert in false trails. Back stories that are set up to lead us away from the truth, but…"

Shaw takes more documents from her file "We found where the good doctor went to high school and medical school. Where she grew up"

"Did you find a family?" Castle questions

"No she was an orphan. Raised in a shelter just outside Dallas. She went to University of Texas Southwestern Medical School on a scholarship and then did her internship and Residency at Johns' Hopkins. She then specialized in reconstructive surgery helping patients with birth defects"

"So how and why did she connect with Tyson?" Beckett asks

"She volunteered to work in the prison as medical director. We think this is where Jerry got his hooks into her"

"He is good. I mean very good at taking a normal person and twisting him or her and turning them into one of his clones" Rick states

"Exactly. That is why we think he is in the middle of this" Shaw say

"But why do you think that he is after us again?" Beckett wonders

"When we started looking into her we found that she had rented an apartment in Virginia but was not actually living there, just in name only. We set up on the place for months and finally got a break after a man was seen leaving the building we used a warrant to enter and look around. What we found was chilling"

"What did you find?"

"Pictures! I mean pictures of the two of you both together and separate. Some of the photographs were obviously not for public viewing"

"Great" Beckett lets out a breath

"How personal were these photographs?" Rick asks

"There were some taken from outside your building looking in thru the windows. Fortunately nothing x rated"

The relief is evident on Rick's face. Years ago he was all on board for a little salacious picture taking. But with Kate, he is totally protective

"So where do we go from here?" Beckett wonders

"We let everyone know the plan, but because Tyson is so good at eavesdropping, I want everything done on hand written notes that are destroyed immediately after reading. That way there is nothing to track the plan. No e-mails, no phone calls, texts, instant messages, nothing to give Tyson a hook for him to use. I will get with Martha and have her write a script for me. I will have future contact handled by an agent I know from the Wyoming FBI office. He has never even been to New York so no one here knows him. He will be the only contact you two will have with me until we close in on Tyson"

"Agent Shaw, do you really think this will work?" Kate asks

"If I know your future husband as well as I think I do, then, yes I think we can pull this off"

* * *

The Cabin in the woods

Present Day

There was no way that Castle or Beckett was going to let this high pressure moment pass without a large emotional release The two spent the night engaged together in dealing with the most passion they had experienced together since that infamous rainy night two years ago when all the truths they had been holding in were told

"I promised there will always be passion. I promised we will never be boring" Castle whispers into Kate's hair as she lay beside him in her bed, in her room at her dad's cabin

"Never boring" she mutters then looking up to his face "Let's find other non boring things in the future. Deal?"

"Deal" he responds

* * *

The set up for the events of today was very, very well planned. So very well executed, and done with out even a dress rehearsal. Everyone involved played their parts to perfection

Even though Gates has never been Rick Castle's biggest fan she knew how much good he brought for Beckett and into her life. He took a great cop and turned her into an extraordinary cop. He took a woman in the depth of pain over the death of her mother and an obsession for justice, even a justice that almost cost her, her life. A closed driven woman with no personal life and turned her into an open, happy, fun woman with a bright future ahead of her Helping her look for the solution and supporting and helping to bring her to the point of the arrest of the man at the top.

And he did it all without doing it for his personal gratification but just a desire for her to be whole. But his support ultimately brought the two to become one and be the greatest team the NYPD has ever experienced

Even though Perlmutter was in constant opposition to every theory emanating from Castle's mouth he still respected Rick's desire for justice and was completely on board with the plan to seek and stop the serial killer involved. Fortunately his part was limited and there was very little he could have done to destroy the mirage they created but as it turned out his visit with Dr. Neiman was a critical event in the play that had been written.

* * *

**just so everyone knows this story has a lot more twists to come. This is Not over**


	6. Chapter 6

Two Weeks before the wedding

* * *

The set up that Agent Shaw described to Rick and Kate is, in the very least, interesting . Castle is sitting at his desk trying to imagine just what could be happening in his mother's mind as she plans out a script that includes the probable death, at least in act one, off stage, of her son

He almost opens a new file on his computer to write down notes on the plan when he remembers the admonishing words of Jordan Shaw 'Nothing is to be put into any electronic format that can be captured by Tyson. No record of any type. He is talented, evil, and will be one step ahead of us if we open any door for him'

Castle knows so very well how Tyson can and has manipulated the records for his own personal agenda. So it will be so very easy for Tyson to capture any electronic device and therefore discover their plan.

So instead of making notes of the plan, Rick begins a new chapter for Nikki Heat. This new book has not even been given a title yet and Castle is still developing the outline for her next adventure. At this point in her story we wants to bring her and Rook together permanantley just like he and Kate are preparing to become one, as husband and wife

Richard Castle's mind drifts back to that first day he met Detective Beckett. How she entered his life on the back of three unfortunate victims. How he saw something in her that he had never seen in a woman before. How he wanted to discover all her secrets. How he found himself wanting to help her instead of bed her. She taught him the importance of finding the truth for the victim's family.. Now he and her are working toward finding the truth for families in other places

His thoughts bring him to decide that he will write a new story. The real story of Nikki Heat, Kate Beckett. He will write a biography of the extraordinary detective told from the eyes of the man who loves her.

He has begun typing and is almost to the point in his writing that he becomes zoned out and no longer conscious of the surroundings when he is taken from his world of Kate Beckett and back to real life when there is an insistent knocking at his front door.

He looks up from his keyboard then placing the laptop on his desk he grudgingly moves to his living room and ultimately his front door

He knows it cannot be an uninvited guest since the building has a doorman and security, so it is probably a neighbor or one of Alexis' friends or even one of his mother's Broadway friends

He grabs the handle and quickly swings the door fully open only to be taken back by the person standing opposite the opening.

The large framed Richard Castle is overshadowing the other man. He is looking at a tall but extremely thin man. Probably in his late twenties. Jet black hair obviously combed back using slick hair cream of some kind making his hair appear as if it were applied on his head with high gloss enamel paint. The man is wearing horned rim glasses and is sporting long side burns stopping sharply just even with his ear lobs

He is wearing a short sleeved wrinkled white shirt buttoned at the neck. He has on a thin black tie that matches his black pleat front pants and his scuffed, well worn but polished lace up shoes. On the pocket of his shirt is clipped a plastic name tag identifying him as a missionary from a church

Before Castle can even speak the visitor begins

"Good day sir. My name is Deacon Paul and I am with the New World Congregation Community Church. I am a missionary sent down from our group in Wyoming and I am here to invite you to come to our gospel meeting that has started down at the local River of Life church house. I have a brochure for you to let you see about our outreach programs and…"

Trying not to be rude Castle speaks up "Thank you so much for coming by, but this is really a bad time for me. I am really busy and…"

"Oh yes sir I totally understand but before I go I just wanted to introduce myself as I said I am here from Wyoming and want to give you this brochure on our church and describing the new lesson we are starting" He hands a folded pamphlet to Castle "We started a new series. We are looking, in this series on the importance of the history that The Jordan has our lives"

What Castle thought her heard was this man emphasizing the word Jordan in his statement

"So, sir if you don't mind, let me just leave this with you. It has my name and phone number of our church if you find yourself in need of me or my counsel at any time, I will personally be there to help lead you to your destiny with the Jordan River. Please just keep this and call me any time day or night?"

"Yes, of course I will and thank you for stopping by" Rick comments as he takes the booklet from the man and closes the door

Castle walks back to his study holding the pamphlet in his hand. He sits back down at his desk then looks at the folded paper. The front cover shows a picture of water flowing and the statement "Following The Jordan"

Opening the inside there are images of typical dessert scenes as normally depicted in many religious brochures

Then Castle notices there is no address. There is no meeting time nor any indication of where someone would go There is, however, a phone number on the page. He is beginning to believe that this was Jordan Shaw's way of introducing her agent to Castle and giving him a contact phone number if he were to need to get in touch with him.

Castle sits back down at the desk in his office and is acting as if he does not have any interest in the paper just handed to him and he pretends to tosses the paper into the trash can beside his desk but actually places it into a compartment that only he knows is there has. He plans to later show Beckett so she can also have the information

* * *

Present Day

* * *

The Old Haunt

Preparing for the Wake

Paula Haas has spent the better part of the last two days meeting with Bryan, the manager at the Old Haunt to make sure that all preparations are in order. She wants the Wake to honor her client and friend.

She makes sure that the caterer is set up in the right location the pictures of Castle are placed all around the room. The booth where he wrote "In A Hail Of Bullets" is cordoned off so no one will sit there.

She arranges a sound system for people to use to make comments on Rick. She works with Lanie to assure that Kate is well taken care of along with Martha and Alexis.

Even though Kate and Rick never officially got married, Paula is making sure she gets the honors of a wife.

It may be New York and almost everyone takes cabs or rides the subway, that just happens to have a stop almost next door to the bar, she arranges valet parking

NYPD is providing security with uniformed officers at the door and inside to assure dignity is maintained at all times.

Paula is finally satisfied with all of her arrangements and the fateful day arrives. She is still stressed as she watches the sound system being set up, the caterer bringing in tables and setting up serving stations. Dishes, silverware, napkins and serving trays of food..

After all the preparations are finished the appointed time arrives and the guests begin to arrive. The friends from the 12th are there early. They want to stand in honor of the man who entered their lives a a pain but went out as the best friend many of them had.

The evening progresses as dignitaries begin to enter the bar.

The mayor and the Chief of Police arrive first. Soon several judges and their wives make appearances. The evening would not be complete without several mystery writers arriving to pay their respects.

The room soon fills with mourners and the din of noise rapidly grows.

What is not noticed by the assembled crowd is the two caterers, One man and one woman. They have stood quietly behind the serving lines assuring that the tables are kept stocked with food and condiments.

No one in the room pays any particular attention to the two hired to dispense the food for the evening. Also not noticed by the assembled group is the two surveying the crowd, watching for the appearance of the almost widow Katherine Beckett.

Before the evening is complete these two have plans for the widow that is not particularly pleasant for her


	7. Chapter 7

**Time to bounce around a bit Please be patient**

* * *

Two Weeks Before the Wedding

* * *

Rick is up and doing a few tasks at the loft before he will go to the precinct. He gathers the laundry and drops it into the basket in the laundry room, then picks up his and Kate's dry cleaning and places it by the front door where the service will pick it up.

After returning to his bedroom, he makes the bed. This is a habit he has developed ever since the morning his mother came in and caught him and Beckett in bed.

He stops in his office and then goes over his e-mails before he finally closes the laptop. He walks around the loft verifying the locks are all set on the windows and then heads out the door making sure to set the alarm and secure the front door before heading to the elevator. Just as he approaches the elevator lobby, he passes a light fixture on the wall and reaches up as if to adjust it. But what he actually does is to place his thumb on a biometric sensor plate that activates an additional level of security inside the loft.

Castle hails a cab and rides to within one block of the police station. He exits the taxi in front of his and Kate's favorite coffee shop. He walks in and up to the counter with his usual amount of gusto. It is simple for him to select the favorite coffee for his girl and himself. As is the habit of almost every patron, even those like himself who never change their selections, he looks at the menu instead of the barista behind the countertop and orders his drinks.

It is only after the man behind the counter responds to the order and says "And the name is Castle? I believe?" Does Rick realize the person is the very same man who appeared at his door a few days ago offering an invitation to a church meeting.

Rick is only taken off guard for a brief moment then he answers "Yes. Yes that is correct"

This time the man is dressed in khaki slacks, a nice polo shirt. His hair is well groomed and the sideburns are gone. The name tag on his apron does say "Hello My name is Deacon"

The coffees are prepared and as Castle waits he notices that the man is paying no attention to Rick or anything else except making the beverage. After a few minutes, the barista grabs a hot cup sleeve from the stack and slides the cups into their respective covers.

"Here you go Mr. Castle. Is there anything else today?" he asks

"No that will be fine. Thank you…" Then pretending to look at the name tag "Deacon"

"No problem sir, whatever you need, I am here"

Castle turns and walks out of the coffee shop and across the street to the precinct. Once inside and on the elevator, Rick looks closer at the coffee cups. This is when she notices a piece of paper slipped between the container and the hot sleeve. Since both of his hands are full, he cannot retrieve the document until he gets to Kate's desk.

The ding if the elevator bell announces his arrival on the 4th floor. He watches Kate's eyes carefully as he approaches her. He truly believes he can see them change color the closer he gets. But he know it is only his view thru rose color glasses that make him believe this

Beckett stands and starts to walk toward the break room so she can enjoy the warm liquid that he has brought. Once the door closes, Castle sets the two cups down and indicates the paper below the sleeve. He then pulls the paper from the cup and slips it into his pocket before sitting down with his future wife

Rick and Kate spend the next few minutes discussing the wedding and the plans for the roof top venue and how great is will be having a full 360o view of the city. Castle chooses this time to try and convince Kate to use this as an opportunity to rappel down the side of the building as they exit on their way to their honeymoon.

"Castle I am jumping into a marriage with you so, no, I am not jumping off a building to begin it"

She sneers at him. "But keep this up and I might want to... jump…Without the ropes"

"It would be fun you know?" He comments just as he stands up. "Kate, I need to go to the men's room real quick. We will finish this later" And he steps out into the hallway and around the corner to the rest room

Once inside he checks that the room is in fact empty and he enter a stall and closes and locks the door. He opens the paper and reads the information given to him. The paper lists three agent's names and contact numbers. It says that they are brand new burner phones never used before. A smile crosses Castle's face while reading the list because the lead FBI agent identifies himself as 'Deacon Paul'. His real name is Deacon Paul. The other two agents are Randall Everett and Simon Yates. The note goes on to say that at least one of the three will always be with Castle.

The next line tells him to have Beckett pick up a coffee at lunch and she will get her shadow's information.

Castle walks back into the bull pen and sits down beside Kate. He places his hand on her leg under the desk. Since he has not been doing much in the way of PDA she realizes he is handing something to her. She takes his hand and they transfer the paper from one to the other. She slips the note into her pocket

For the next hour the group discuses the latest set of cases. Kate tells the boys that they will try to resolve what they have so when the wedding happens there will be no loose ends to cause issues while she is gone.

Castle tells the group that if they are not going to be going to crime scenes and looking for evidence, he needs to go handle some wedding issues and stands to leave.

He turns to Kate "See you at home later" As he touches her shoulder

"See you at home": she responds with a smile

After a half hour, Kate excuses herself and heads for the ladies room. Once inside she takes the same action that Rick did earlier. Locks herself into a stall and reads the note he gave her. After committing the names and numbers to memory, she simply drops the paper into the toilet and flushes the note away to be ever seen again.

Beckett returns to her desk and looks around before commenting "I want another coffee from the shop across the street. Do you guys want anything?"

Both men shake their heads no then Beckett exits the floor

At the coffee shop, Kate steps to the counter to order and notices the mane behind the counter is wearing a tag with the name she is expecting. She orders her drink and waits for the cup to be delivered.

Taking her cup covered by another hot drink sleeve Kate walks back to the station. In the elevator she removes the added slip of paper and places it into her pant's pocket to be read later

After an extended period of time she finally has the opportunity to read the note. This time it lists the three women agents assigned to her detail and associated numbers.

The rest of the day goes on without incident and finally just moments after five, Kate grabs her coat and bag and rushes to the elevator. In years past the five o'clock hour was just another tick on the clock. It was never her quitting time. She often worked for hours off the clock on cases because, honestly, she had no where else to be and no reason to be there. Work was her only passion.

Now she has another place she wants to be. Five o'clock is the time the gets to rush home to be with her family. Her future husband, his sweet wonderful daughter, and his crazy mother who still makes Kate laugh

Inside the loft Kate hangs her coat up, places her bag on the table and walks into the bedroom where Castle has added a gun safe for her weapon to be secured and she places her Glock in the cabinet and locks the door

She walks up to Castle's desk where he is madly typing on his laptop and bends down and places a kiss on his neck. She reaches around his shoulders and slides the paper into his shirt. He struggles in trying to not just grab her and throw her on to the desk and have his way with her

Her touch is like fire and ice for him. Two years together and nothing has cooled down for either of them.

"Hey girl" he comments

"Hey yourself" she responds "What's for dinner?"

"I though we might go out tonight. We don't get out much. I thought we could go to Remy's for burgers or maybe Pepe's Mexican or pizza at one of the Nicks. I don't care which one"

"Mexican sounds good. Are you ready?" Kate asks

Castle closes his computer and stands. He moves toward the bathroom "Give me a minute to wash up and we can go"

"Fine" Kate responds. She knows that he is going to read her note from the FBI

Minutes later Rick exits the bathroom and heads to the living room where Kate is putting her coat back on. Again Rick sets the alarm and the two leave the loft and head out for diner. In the hallway it is Kate this time to set the additional system just as they arrive at the elevator

Only moments after they depart on the elevator a man appears from apparently nowhere. He travels up the corridor from the shadows. He steps beside the light fixture and presses a finger covered by a latex sheath to the sensor disarming the security on his way to the loft.

He next enters the door and quickly disarms the system inside. He knows he has at least an hour to search to home for the information he is seeking.


	8. Chapter 8

I** really need to finish this so I can go back to the other fun story.  
I think after this there will only be one more** **chapter then an epilog**

* * *

Present Day

Jim Beckett's Cabin in the Woods

"So what happened on the road?" Kate finally asks while propping her head on her hand looking at the man beside her.

"A Black SUV pulled up next to me and began moving into my lane. It was evident that he was going to force me off the road. That's when Agent Paul pulled in"

"Who's Paul...Oh yeah the lead agent that Jordan sent. Was he the only one there?"

"I think so. He had been following me all day. He or one of the others was there every time I looked up all day long. I felt like I was in a fish bowl and the cat was perched on the edge of the table ready to pounce and grab a bite. I must say it was a little unnerving to wonder when and where Tyson was going to strike"

"I guess he was the witness the police interviewed at the scene then disappeared?"

"That was him. He brought me here later. Then I just waited for you to show up. Everything went per plan"

Kate wraps herself around Castle again and puts her head into his chest "I was really still scared even after Lanie came to car and gave me the A OK signal. When she said the body looked like you I screamed for real"

"That made it real for the driver of the Rolls. She thought I really was burned to a crisp"

"How did the FBI know the driver was involved?" Kate wonders

"Any change in plans was assumed to be Tyson and Nieman so when a different driver showed up than the one scheduled we knew it was them"

"Rick the boys, Lanie, Gates, everyone helped. Even Permutter"

"Don't forget Chief Brady letting our guys pretend to take the body"

"We got some great friends"

"Yeah we do"

"What was done in the morgue to fool her. I know Permutter was great?" Kate asks

"Shaw was able to get a body from somewhere and they placed a dental implant in the front of the mouth exactly like the one I really have. Since the body was burned beyond recognition that was the only evidence needed to fool her. Perlmutter would not let her touch the corpse but the implant was evident and she saw it"

"Rick, all our friends pulled this off. I mean really pulled a magic trick from the top hat"

"I thought you didn't believe in magic"

"I do now" She whispers as she pulls herself closer again

"Are you OK Kate?" Castle asks

"I'll get there" She responds without even moving from his side

"I lost my mother and was afraid of ever loving anyone like that again. Until you came along I had made up my mind I would never love anyone ever again"

She finally looks at his face. "Then you showed up"

"Hey, wait a minute. You came looking for me remember? Not the other way around"

"I'm glad I found you" She says

"Yeah, me too"

"So where do we go from here?"

"They are setting up a wake for me. Paula is handling that at the Old Haunt. Jordan believes that Tyson will show up there, in disguise of course, and gloat over his success in killing me and hurting you in the process"

"Why there?"

"All my friends will be there and Tyson thinks he has done me in and he will bask in the stories and pain all my friends will tell. You know how much they well all miss me and how much they all loved me…"

"Oh Really?" Kate giggles as she pokes him in the chest "You really think all these people are going to be singing your praises?"

"Oh course. They all love me and will tell how much they will miss me"

"Right!" She laughs again "Maybe Patterson and some of the other mystery writers, glad to get rid of the competition"

"Easy girl. I thought that at least you loved me?" Rick pulls Kate tighter

She stops struggling "I do love you. You don't know how much I love you"

"I think I do, actually. Because if it is anywhere near how much I love you…"

The two become silent as their thoughts of how close they came to loosing each other begins to sink in

* * *

The Wake

The Old Haunt

* * *

A small crowd has formed outside of the bar consisting of fans and others who were not issued invitations but wanted to pay their respects .to the family anyway.

The inside of the bar has filled with a large number of people. People here to honor a friend, a co-worker, a competitor, and as the uniformed police officers standing honor guard seem to consider him a member of the force

Every few minutes someone steps up to the microphone and wants to say a few words in memory for the fallen writer. Each speech ends, naturally, with a toast. The more speeches the more intoxicated some guests become.

As the evening progresses more and more people stand at the podium with tears in their eyes. The one person though that has been absent from the festivities is Katherine Beckett

The evening grows slightly longer and the door finally opens to see the widow arrive.

The tall graceful woman is wearing a mid calf A-line Black dress High bodice and back. Very dignified. Low heels and no jewelry except for the engagement ring given to her a year ago by Richard Castle

She is immediately surrounded by friends and family. No one is letting her out of their sight. They are all so very concerned over her mental state and well being. She had sequestered herself in her father's cabin for the lat three days and refused to even take phone calls. Being alone like that had many concerned about her mental state.

After a few minutes Lanie finally convinces her to go and get a plate of food. The two women step up to the buffet table where the two caterers are ready to assist Kate in her selections.

After she finished her time in line Kate and Lanie go to the booth that was cordoned off and they sit down. After a very few minutes Kate begins to act as if she is not feeling well. Lanie stands up and speaks loudly toward Esposito and tells him to get Kate some water. Lanie thinks Beckett is probably dehydrated

Without warning the two caterers appear at Lanie's side offering to assist with the evidently ill woman. Lanie thanks them and points in the direction of the secret doorway leading to the basement office

"Take her to the office and I will be down as soon as I go to my car and get my medical bag".

The man and woman assist Beckett in standing. Kate is wobbly like she is drunk, but she has had absolutely nothing to drink tonight

The opening to the lower level is small and only one person can go through at a time. The man enters first then Kate then the woman follows. As soon as the woman enters the stairs, she turns and pulls the lever that closes the upstairs door.

Kate and her two helpers stumble into the office where Kate moves to the couch and begins to lay down

"Well Ms. Beckett we finally meet again"

Kate looks closely at the woman and recognizes Kelly Nieman

"Dr. Nieman" Kate begins with a slurred speech "What are you doing here?"

"Oh I am here to finish something I started"

"What is that?" Beckett struggles out

"Taking you and your late fiancé out of the picture. My friend here has been waiting for this day for a very, very long time" She points to the man standing beside her

Kate sits up slightly looking at the man who has begun to remove his false beard, wig, and other make up revealing his true identity

Kate is shocked by the revelation of who is actually standing in the room

"You're not Jerry Tyson"

"No! I am not"

* * *

**WHAT?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Last Chapter. An Epilog will follow**

* * *

"You are not Jerry Tyson" Kate speaks with a loud voice

"No! I am Not" is the response

"How did you get here?" Beckett asks

"A lot of hard work from my friends and companions"

"You are in prison. Federal Prison"

"Not anymore, Nikki"

Katherine Beckett is sitting on the couch in the downstairs office of the Old Haunt face to face with Scott Dunn. A man she arrested with the help of Agent Jordan Shaw several years ago and put into prison. A serial killer that has, in the past had committed many previously unsolved serial murders scattered across the United States and possibly all over North America. During his rampage in New York he claimed that Nikki Heat was a failure in not being able to capture him and so he kept killing

"Nikki! Nikki! Nikki! Did you miss me?" He begins his taunting

"Miss you like I would miss a bad case of the stomach flu" Kate is showing no signs of illness at the moment

"I tricked you into believing I was Jerry Tyson. I am good you know?"

"Oh not that good" Beckett responds

"You know I met him in prison"

"Who, Tyson, when was that?"

"I was in transit between local and Federal and I spent a week at Rikkers. He was there awaiting transfer upstate. That is when I decided to learn more about 3XK"

Then with obvious appreciation in his voice"You know he is a talented man"

Dunn is pacing the room very proud of his ability to pull this off

"Talented at what? Murder? How is that a good thing?"

"Oh Nikki you are missing the beauty of the man"

"There is nothing beautiful about murdering innocent women and dumping their bodies I an alley"

"Oh Nikki, the beauty is in how easily we got away from the police. How he fooled the police just like I fooled you and your so called friends"

"How did you get out of federal custody? I thought you were in maximum security?"

"Oh that is where my woman here comes in" Pointing at the good doctor

"She located a man who was a willing disciple. He saw the beauty in our plan. He joined us willingly. He is proud to be a part of our plan. He allowed her to surgically change him into me. She performed plastic surgery just like she did to those two others. You know the two that became you friends. That Hispanic cop and that African American doctor. The only difference is that this man became me"

Dunn is still walking around the room proudly telling his story

"Then he put on a prosthetic and makeup to look like one of the guards that we did have to remove from the equation. Then dresses as the guard he simply came in as the guard and went to work. We changed clothes then I put on the makeup I just walked out in his place. No one even knew I was gone. In fact the prison still thinks I am rotting in my cell"

Dunn is totally into his own story when he suddenly turns toward Beckett and with determination in his voice "Nikki, you should feel ashamed how I've tricked you. You thought I was Jerry Tyson and he was the one following you and your former now dead fiancé"

"Who says you fooled me?"

"Well you are here in my trap. Your lover is dead on a slab in the morgue and I am out of jail"

Kate begins to stand up "What makes you think I am in your trap? Maybe you are in mine"

At this very moment the bookcase slides open and Agent Jordan Shaw along with Special Agent Deacon Paul enters the office with weapons drawn.

The two criminals turn to rush up the stairs only to come face to face with Detectives Ryan and Esposito also fully armed.

The two are trapped between local police and FBI

"Nikki! You surprised me" Dunn says." But you are still not smarter than me. Someone had to die. Someone always has to die and this time it was you fiancé"

"Oh I think I have a few more lives left" Castle comments as he enters the room from the secret passage bringing the two criminals to silence

The crowd up in the main level of the bar are all abuzz talking about how they captured Dunn and Nieman and especially that Castle is still alive.

The assembled group are all cheers as the officers escort the two suspects are taken out and placed in awaiting squad cars and taken down to the Federal Courthouse for lock up

Rick and Kate finally arrive at the main floor of the bar and are again cheered and congratulations are given all round.

The next hour is spent in telling and retelling the story of how they pulled this off. How they passed notes between themselves like a bunch of junior high school kids talking about who was into whom in the classroom

"So Richard, now that this nonsense is over can we move on with the missed wedding" Martha asks

Castle looks at Kate and smiles "I'm ready"

She return the love "Me too. When?"

Rick looks around the room. "All of our friends are here. This booth is where I wrote my first book that hooked you in the beginning. How about not letting anything else get in our way?"

"OK Perfect" Kate says with a giggle. Then they both look around for someone to perform the ceremony only so see that due to commitments the mayor and judges have both left

"Rick there is no official that can do the service"

"Excuse me you two, but actually I am a member of the clergy" special Agent Deacon Paul comments to the pair

"What?" You are a minister?"

"Actually I am a deacon at my church and because of that I am authorized by my church to perform weddings"

"Wait! You are Deacon Deacon Paul?" Castle asks causing a few laughs to occur in the room

He looks at the crowd. Yeah I guess you could say that" he responds

Kate looks at Rick and the two lock eyes "Let's do this" they both say in unison

The couple stands in front of the booth where 'In A Hail of Bullets' was born and listen to the agent recites words of love and commitment. Admonishing the couple to dedicate their lives to one another. Not realizing that the couple in front of him have dedicated themselves to one another totally for the last six years. To ask them to continue that promise is not in question

Katherine Beckett is able to say her vows to Rick without the fear she had over doing it in front of a lot of people since they are in front of so many fewer people than originally planned. Kate chokes thru her promises of love for the man before her. The man that saved her from her ghosts. The man who helped her find a killer and closed that chapter in her life

Richard Castle, as a public figure, accustomed to book readings, should have been able to speak without issue, but looking into the hazel eyes of the woman, that he has fallen so deeply in love with, he can't help but tear up and his voice trembles as she says the words of dedication that simply repeat what they have meant to each other for years

The friends and coworkers that have watched this relationship grow from less than nothing to one of the greatest love stories of all time are enjoying witnessing the culmination of that love

And now everyone else present can see the undying connection these two have for one another

The evening ends with the departure of Mr. And Mrs. Richard Castle.

Instead of rice, the patrons of the bar are throwing peanut shells, since that was all they have access to.

Kate and Rick head to the loft to grab their bags then to the airport for the much delayed honeymoon

In the cab ride to the airport, Kate keeps looking at her left hand and the wedding band that she now has added to her ring finger. She continues to touch it and roll it around and around

"It that bothering you?" Rick asks

She never looks up "No, just I never thought this day would happen for me"

"I am glad it did, and more than that, I am glad that I am the one who got to put it there"

"Me too"

Finis

* * *

**Time to put this one to bed. Thanks to all my readers. you make me love doing this**  
**II wish I could actually write for a living, but it is not in the cards.  
I will try to do more of this instead  
**


	10. Epilog

EPILOG

Files and Technical support teams are reviewing the case folders on the arrests of Dr. Kelli Neiman and Scott Dunn. The master catalog page is in the front of the box. In fact just the index is many pages long due to the extensive amount of information being placed in the archives

Support officer Lou Martin has been assigned to the take of reviewing and cataloging the electrronic data. Any e-mails messages and all the audio and video stored on this case

He is amazed that there is hardly any electronic message data. There are no e-mails or instant messages pulled from computers.

He then moves to audio and video recordings to review the information so as to add details to the storage identifying the contents of the images.

He again is amazed at the low amount of stored electronic files. He begins to review the stored data from the hidden camera placed in the corridor of the Castle's hallway outside their loft.

File after file is nothing but Rick or Kate entering or leaving the loft. Each time they pass the hidden system biometric device, one or the other can be seen placing their finger on the sensor plate to activate or disarm the security

After watching literally dozens of these videos he notices a man seems to appear out of no where and place his hand on the lamp plate. The technician does not recognize the person so he makes a note of the particular file to come back to it later.

After several days spent in cataloging the information, Officer Martin contacts the agent of record to ask her to come in and review the data so they can send the finished boxes to permanent storage

Agent Jordan Shaw arrives at the records retention room just after lunch and locates Officer Martin "Lou, what do you have for me?"

"Not a lot Jordan, this case was pretty much devoid of anything electronic. I didn't find e-mails or instant message or texts. Not much electronic"

"I know. We did this case the old fashioned way. On paper. Paper that we destroyed after reading"

"Sort of like old cold war spy verses spy stuff?"

"Pretty much. So, you said you did have something I need to look at?"

"Right, let me see here. It was a video taken in the hallway of the Castle's loft" Lou says as he begins searching the hard drive

"Here we go" as the video begins to play. Date stamp is before the wedding and it shows Castle and Beckett leaving the apartment and stepping onto the elevator. Moments after the elevator doors close a man appears from the shadows. He walks to the secret sensor and places a finger on the sensor plate. The finger is covered with some type shroud. Obviously containing a fake fingerprint to fool the system

"I saw this and I did not know who this was, so before I catalog this I wanted to see if you know who this man is?"

Agent Jordan Shaw is sitting at the computer desk and has not said another word. Her face tells the entire story.

"Jordan, is that Scott Dunn? It doesn't look like him" Martin asks

She takes a deep breath before answering

"No that is not Dunn. That is Jerry Tyson"


End file.
